Israel attacks Iran. Army and Pasdaran leadership killed. Teheran: "We will punish them".

In preparation for the air raids against Iranian military and nuclear facilities on Thursday night, the Mossad established a military base in Iran, where drones were stored. A senior Israeli security source explained this to the media. The drones had been smuggled into the country long before and were used during the attacks. At the beginning of the attack, and in parallel with the air force raids, the Mossad activated the systems already in place, the source said, adding that the explosive drones were fired at ground-to-ground missile launchers at a military base near Tehran. At the same time, the source said, Mossad commando teams operated in central Iran deploying operational precision-guided weapons systems in open areas near Iranian surface-to-air missile systems. The source added that the Mossad also installed offensive attack systems and additional technology on vehicles inside Iran, with the aim of neutralising Iran's air defence capabilities that could threaten Israeli fighter jets. The IDF completely destroyed Iranian defence systems at the beginning of the attack.

According to reports on Iranian state TV, among others, the commander-in-chief of the Guardians of the Revolution, Hossein Salami, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Mohammad Bagheri, and Fereydoon Abbasi, a scientist who formerly headed Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, lost their lives in the attack. In an attempt to kill prominent figures of the regime and the atomic programme, Israel hit residential areas of both Tehran and other cities in the country.

According to rumours that have not yet been confirmed, among the victims of the Israeli raid are at least two other prominent scientists involved in the nuclear programme.

Images released by Iranian state TV show several residential buildings in Tehran heavily damaged and a building more than 10 storeys high partially collapsed. The headquarters of the Guardians of the Revolution, or Pasdaran, the main body of the Iranian Armed Forces, was also heavily damaged. Witnesses report columns of smoke and a fire.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency is closely monitoring the deeply worrying situation in Iran. The agency can confirm that the Natanz site is among the targets," IEA chief Rafael Grossi wrote on X. "The agency is in contact with the Iranian authorities and our inspectors and they are monitoring radiation levels," he added. Grossi went on to inform Israeli President Isaac Herzog that, according to information in his possession, the Natanz plant had suffered serious damage. According to Grossi, there has been no leakage of radioactive or chemical contamination outside the plant near Isfahan in central Iran, and no casualties have been reported.

The White House reported that in the wake of the Israeli attacks in Iran, Donald Trump convened the National Security Council for today, Friday.

But on the diplomatic front, the most striking fact is undoubtedly the strength with which the United States has distanced itself from the Israeli operation. 'Tonight,' said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 'Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in attacks against Iran and our priority is to protect American forces in the region', a formula that leaves some doubt as to whether the US is prepared to offer protection to Israel when the inevitable Iranian response occurs.

"Let me be clear," Rubio added, "Iran must not target American interests or personnel. The United States has deployed air defence systems to protect the approximately 40,000 US soldiers deployed at more than ten military bases in the Middle East. This was told by a US defence official to the New York Times, but also without specifying what role the US would assume in the defence of Israel in the event of Iranian retaliation.

In recent weeks, the growing distance between the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government had become evident, with repeated appeals from Washington not to attack Iran while negotiations with emissaries of Tehran's leadership on the nuclear programme were ongoing. The next meeting was scheduled for Sunday.

Donald Trump and senior White House officials expected Israeli attacks on Iran. Two sources told CNN. In a press conference on Thursday, the US president had said that the attack was "possible" but also asked Israel not to do it. In a statement to Fox News, the president emphasised that 'Iran cannot not have a nuclear bomb', but confirmed his hope 'to return to the negotiating table. We'll see'. A few hours before the raid, the tycoon had written on his social network Truth that the US remained committed to 'a diplomatic solution'.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in a statement that Israel had 'unleashed its evil and bloody hand' against Iran and that it would meet 'a bitter fate for itself' because of this.

Predicting how long states can continue to act as spectators is not easy. The spokesman of the Iranian Armed Forces Headquarters, Abolfazl Shekarchi stated that 'Iran will give a decisive response to the savage attacks of the Zionist enemy, conducted with the direct help of the United States. Harsh punishment awaits Israel'.

An Iranian military source confirmed to Reuters that 'Iran is planning a harsh response to the attack'. In a statement from the Guardians of the Revolution, the elite corps just beheaded by tonight's raid, 'the Israeli attack was carried out with the full knowledge and support of the evil rulers of the White House and the US terrorist regime'.

The first Iranian counter-move, in anticipation of further retaliatory actions, was the launch of dozens of drones targeting Israel: the Israeli army claimed to have intercepted and shot down the drones launched by Iran, about a hundred of them, all of which were detected outside Israeli territory. Jordanian Air Force jets and air defence systems also shot down several missiles and drones that entered Jordanian airspace this morning, according to the state-run Petra news agency.

The IDF also released a video showing Iranian ballistic missiles being hit and destroyed on the ground before being launched towards Israel. In the meantime, the Home Front Command released an update informing civilians that it is no longer necessary to stay near air raid shelters, however, restrictions on gatherings remain in place.

In light of the Israeli air strikes, Iran's representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Iravani, called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and "decisive action by this international body against the Zionist regime's crimes against Iran". This was reported by the Tasnim news agency. "In a reckless, unlawful and premeditated act, the Zionist regime has carried out a series of coordinated military attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran's nuclear facilities and civilian infrastructure, which are considered a clear violation of the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of international law, and whose dangerous consequences seriously threaten regional and international peace and security," reads the letter sent by Iravani.

A state of emergency was declared in Israel. Ben Gurion International Airport and the country's entire airspace have been closed, as have those of Iran and Iraq. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned the civilian population in a statement that he expects 'an immediate attack from Iran with drones and missiles'.

Prime Minister Netanyahu warned the civilian population that they may have to spend long periods in air raid shelters in anticipation of an expected retaliatory attack by Iran. The Israeli leadership - Axios journalist Barak Ravid reports - has been moved to a safe location.

Saudi Arabia, Iran's main antagonist in the Arab world, condemned the Israeli attack, calling it a violation of sovereignty and international law. IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir said that tens of thousands of soldiers were mobilised and 'ready on all borders'.

Israel's attack on Iran immediately rattled the markets, especially the oil markets. Light crude jumped 11.67% to $75.98, while Brent crude rose 11.38% to $77.25. The Nikkei 225, the Tokyo Stock Exchange's index of leading stocks, closed down 0.89 per cent. The Nifty 50 of the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai lost 0.66 per cent. Seoul's Kospi was also down 0.87 per cent.

According to some oil analysts, if Iran decides to target traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, it could send crude oil prices soaring above $100 per barrel. A situation that would probably be considered intolerable by the US administration already struggling with the inflationary pressures expected from the White House's protectionist policies.